Trade2Base vs Loc8
Loc8 is an established Australian field service platform with solid scheduling and job management. Trade2Base adds UK compliance, campaign attribution, AI tools and flat per-business pricing — and was built from day one for the UK market.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Trade2Base | Loc8 |
|---|---|---|
Campaign attribution (ad ROI) Loc8 has no marketing attribution layer | ||
AI campaign copywriting Loc8 focuses on job management without AI creative tools | ||
WhatsApp Business messaging Loc8 does not integrate with WhatsApp Business | ||
Direct mail integration | ||
VAT-compliant invoicing Loc8 is primarily built for Australia — UK VAT compliance is limited | ||
Gas Safe cert storage Loc8 has no UK compliance features (Gas Safe, NICEIC, CIS) | ||
Customer self-serve portal Loc8 has limited customer-facing features | ||
Quote digital sign-off | ||
Job scheduling & dispatch Loc8 has solid scheduling and dispatch features | ||
Mobile app (iOS & Android) | ||
Service contracts / PSM Loc8 has service contract and maintenance features | ||
Xero / QuickBooks integration Loc8 integrates with Xero | ||
Per-business pricing Loc8 charges per user — costs scale with team size | ||
7-day free trial | ||
UK-based support Loc8 is Australia-based — UK support hours are limited | ||
GBP billing Loc8 is built for the Australian market — GBP billing may require conversion | ||
AI quote drafting Trade2Base has AI quote building; Loc8 does not |
Based on published feature sets as of May 2026. Loc8 pricing shown in AUD — UK pricing may vary. Verify with Loc8 directly.
Where Trade2Base pulls ahead
UK-built vs Australian software
Loc8 was built for the Australian field service market. UK VAT invoicing, Gas Safe certificate management, NICEIC compliance, CIS tax handling and GBP billing are not core priorities. Trade2Base was built from day one for UK trade businesses — plumbers, electricians, heating engineers and builders operating under UK regulations.
Campaign attribution Loc8 does not offer
Loc8 is a capable scheduling and job management platform, but it has no marketing attribution layer. Trade2Base connects Google Ads, Facebook, directories and leaflets to the jobs and revenue they generate — giving you cost-per-booked-job by channel. Loc8 cannot do this.
Flat business pricing vs per-user fees
Loc8 charges per user, so your software costs rise directly as your team grows. Trade2Base is flat per-business pricing at £29–179/month regardless of engineer headcount. A 4-engineer team on Loc8 pays significantly more than on Trade2Base Pro — which also includes AI tools and campaign attribution Loc8 does not offer.
Pricing comparison
| Scenario | Trade2Base | Loc8 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo engineer | £29/mo | ~AUD 50-70/mo (1 user) | Currency conversion applies with Loc8 |
| 3-engineer team | £29/mo | ~AUD 150-200/mo (3 users) | Trade2Base saves significantly at team scale |
| 5-engineer team | £99/mo | ~AUD 250-350/mo (5 users) | Trade2Base adds AI + UK attribution |
| GBP billing | ✓ Fixed £ | AUD / conversion required | Exchange rate risk with Loc8 |
| UK compliance | ✓ Built in | Not prioritised | Gas Safe, VAT, CIS built into Trade2Base |
| Campaign attribution | ✓ All plans | Not available |
Loc8 pricing in AUD — currency conversion adds cost and exchange rate risk. Trade2Base pricing is fixed in GBP. Verify with Loc8 directly.
When Loc8 might suit you better
- Your business operates primarily in Australia or New Zealand where Loc8 is built, regulated and supported — it is optimised for the Australian market with local compliance and support expectations
- You need Loc8's strong service contract and asset management features for larger commercial maintenance operations managing hundreds of assets across multiple sites
- Your team is already running on Loc8 with years of job history, compliance records and asset data in the platform — migration effort may outweigh the additional features Trade2Base offers
- You are evaluating Australian field service software options and Loc8 is the strongest fit for your existing accounting and compliance stack in that market
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UK-built, GBP pricing, Gas Safe compliance built in. No credit card required.
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